Secondly, it is persistent, so an exercise addict exercises too much and for too long without giving the body a chance to recover

exercise addicts exercise for hours every day, regardless of fatigue or illness

Exercise addiction is probably the most contradictory of all the addictions

Exercise is even promoted as part of a complete program of recovery from other addictions

exercise addiction is a controversial idea. Many experts balk at the idea that excessive exercise can constitute an addiction, believing that there has to be a psychoactive substance that produces symptoms -- such as withdrawal -- for an activity to be a true addiction

exercise releases endorphins (opioids produced within the body), and excessive exercise causes tolerance to the hormones and neurotransmitters released, these physiological processes are often not considered comparable to other substance addictions.

Exercise addiction is not currently included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the gold standard for psychological diagnoses, although several authors have suggested diagnostic criteria

Sufferers of exercise bulimia use excessive exercise to purge or compensate for eating binges or simply regular eating, often working out multiple times per day or for three or four hours at a time

Deep down, this disorder has more to do with control than it does the desire to fit into a smaller size of jeans

The scary thing about an addiction to exercise is that it creeps up gradually, usually among everyday people who start exercising, feel good afterward, revel in the calories they're burning, have a desire to get healthier or lose weight, and therefore start believing that more is better

Oftentimes, people who develop an exercise compulsion don't feel like there's anything wrong with what they do

Compulsive exercisers build their lives around working out and are genuinely distressed if they can't exercise as much as they feel they need to (or should be)

Exercise bulimia is similar, but involves eating binges. People who suffer from exercise bulimia often binge on food and then exercise obsessively to make up for it. Exercise becomes a way to control calories, justify eating, and punish oneself for eating too much or eating the "wrong" things.

In general, exercising for up to 60-90 minutes, most days of the week is reasonable and healthy for most people as long as recovery and downtime is built in.

Exercise is usually a good thing, but rest and recovery are very important, too

Excessive exercise can weaken the body and cause a host of problems, including: Fatigue Suppressed immune system Lack of menstruation (amenorrhea) in women due to a lack of body fat Reproductive problems Heart problems (such as muscle wasting and rhythm problems) Dehydration Arthritis Osteoporosis Stress fractures and sprains Kidney failure

Getting a Diagnosis

Compulsive exercise and exercise bulimia can affect both men and women of all ages, races, body types and weights.

A doctor may ask if the person is exercising and get the right answer (yes), never knowing the extent to which the patient is actually jeopardizing his or her health by taking exercise to the extreme

A physician may first suspect a problem if a woman stops menstruating due to a drop in body fat, which affects estrogen levels, but the condition may be virtually undetectable in men whose body fat levels can be much lower without creating any health problems.

Treatment Options

Studies have found that sufferers often come from families where food was used as a way of controlling behavior and battles surrounding food were common

Traditional treatments for exercise bulimia include support groups, cognitive behavior therapy, psychotherapy, and/or medication, such as anti-depressants.

In this way you risk maintaining or worsening an eating disorder

We have noticed that when a patient begins to regain weight this vicious circle is interrupted

Excessive exercise risks are linked to the induction of a fasting effect that leads to further protein-calorie deficit and then to a worsening of the malnutrition situation.

Doing exercises in a weak physical condition can be very dangerous

Sleep (deficit) built up over just five nights can significantly stress the heart

Many students believe that it's a "rite of passage" to stay up all night during college and that "it's kind of fun," Thacher says.

A study this summer in the journal SLEEP examined the heart conditions of 39 adults, ages 22 to 45, whose heart rates were tested twice — the morning after a 10-hour sleep and then again after five consecutive four-hour sleeps — using a portable monitor.

if you use all-nighters, your GPA is slightly lower on average,

"You can't do your best work when you're sleep-deprived

"It's not common knowledge, because if people understood how much of a difference (getting more sleep) could make athletically," they'd incorporate it more into their lives and not focus solely on nutrition and exercise.

Athletic performance was assessed after each regularly scheduled swim practice. After obtaining extra sleep, athletes swam a 15-meter meter sprint 0.51 seconds faster, reacted 0.15 seconds quicker off the blocks, improved turn time by 0.10 seconds and increased kick strokes by 5.0 kicks.

The study also monitored daytime sleepiness and weekly changes in mood

 Daytime sleepiness decreased significantly with extra sleep, while mood improvements related to getting extra sleep included higher ratings of vigor and lower ratings of fatigue.

Typically, many athletes accumulate a large sleep debt by not obtaining their individual sleep requirement each night, which can have detrimental effects on cognitive function, mood, and reaction time

These negative effects can be minimized or eliminated by prioritizing sleep in general and, more specifically, obtaining extra sleep to reduce one’s sleep debt.”

Mah and colleagues reported similar results in a previous study of six players on the Stanford men’s basketball team

also has worked with the football, tennis, golf, cross country, and track and field teams at Stanford.

It is interesting to note that many of the athletes in the various sports I have worked with, including the swimmers in this study

Make sleep a part of your regular training regimen.

Extend nightly sleep for several weeks to reduce your sleep debt before competition.

Maintain a low sleep debt by obtaining a sufficient amount of nightly sleep (seven to eight hours for adults, nine or more hours for teens and young adults).

Keep a regular sleep-wake schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same times every day.

Take brief naps to obtain additional sleep during the day, especially if drowsy.

The body needs sleep and rest time to build and repair itself.

babies can sleep up to 20 hours a day

children need 10 - 12 hours of sleep every day on average.

importance of sleep is obvious when we look at how it's necessary for physical growth and health!

One thing that definitely affects sleep is a certain hormone that your body produces called melatonin

Sleep (or lack of sleep) has a direct impact on your health and energy levels

The main factors that determine wellness or illness in addition to sleep are: Nutrition Physical Activity and Stress Management

From the early high school years teens start to hear about the importance of grades to get into the college of their choice and to be constantly vigilant about succeeding.

teens work jobs after school to either pay for gas or to help parents who may be struggling financially

teen years are a time when many emotional and physical changes are occurring.

teens experience significant psychological, academic and behavioral problems before, during and after their parents' divorce

Some teens, however, experience conflict, arguments, and pressure from their friends and acquaintances

The pressure to conform and fit in can be overwhelming

Many times, teens place undue stress on themselves.

The American Academy of Pediatrics points out that often teens tell themselves that they need to lose weight, get better grades, score more points in the game and prove themselves to their parents

Many teens feel different from their peers and never feel good enough. Self esteem can suffer another blow if they are made to feel inferior, different or are made fun of by others.

Second, use any extra time you have in school to work on your homework

Many schools have study halls that are specifically designed to allow students to study or get homework done

It's tempting to hang out with friends during study periods or unstructured time, but the more work you can get done in school, the less you'll have to do that night.

Third, pace yourself

If you don't finish your homework during school, think about how much you have left and what else is going on that day, and then budget your time

Most high-school students have between 1 and 3 hours of homework a night.

On the other hand some teens will find it too difficult to have a job and go to school and they will cut corners, skip their homework and eventually their academic achievements will drop.

You also need to consider if this will influence the extracurricular activities of your teenage

If your teen can’t handle both it doesn’t mean that your teen should only focus on school and skip having a job, just encourage him to look around and find a more appropriate job position.

Juggling two great responsibilities is hard work for adults, let alone teens.

In high school, grades and extracurricular activities become part of that all-important “permanent record.” And if your child wants to get into a good college, she will have to go the extra mile.

If your child doesn’t use her time wisely and puts her schoolwork off to concentrate on her social life or after-school activities–and if her grades are showing this–gently prod her to get back to business

When School is Scary

Besides bullying (a longtime but nonetheless devestating concern), a serious issue facing many schools today is the presence of violence and atmosphere of fear

Many schools have instituted a policy of zero tolerance when it comes to guns (and drugs).

Preventing and Dealing with Burnout

School pressure can come from teachers and parents, and it can also come from the child herself. Some pressure is good—it keeps a teen’s eye on the prize at the end of four years: The college of her choice.

But too much pressure, whether it comes from an adult or the child, is counterproductive and will lead to burnout. Make sure your teen balances her schoolwork and her life outside it, and remind her that these overwhelming years are a transition into adulthood.

Alternative School Programs

If your child is one of the thousands of kids who just doesn’t seem to be able to handle school, it isn’t the end of the world. Talk to your teen about the consequences of dropping out, and if all else fails try to find an alternative program

2. Jumping Jacks / Pushups

Do 10 jumping jacks / 10 pushups and repeat the non-stop cycle 5-10 times depending on your fitness level. This takes 3-5 minutes if you push all 10 sets.

3. Replace Pushups with Squats

If you want to add in a leg workout try replacing pushups with squats above.

4. MJDBs - Multi-Joint Dumbbells Exercises

With a set of dumbbells mix in a few exercises into one movement: - Bicep curl, military press, tricep extensions - do 10-15 reps - Squats, bicep curl, military press, tricep extension - do 10-15 reps - Squat thrust, pushup x 5, stand up, bicep curl military press, tricep extension - 5-10 reps

5. CARDIO Option

You can skip all the above and just run, bike, walk, elliptical glide, or row for 15-20 minutes or you can add in a quick burst of cardio for the remaining time you have.

2. Rowing

3. Swimming

Not only do these three exercises burn the most calories in 30 minutes (avg. 300 for a 145 pound person), but they also build muscle and tone your entire body

Walking, biking and even using the elliptical trainer will not work your body as hard or as well, because those exercises target your lower body and leave your upper body hanging out and doin’ nothing.

If you don’t even have 30 minutes in your action-packed schedule to get to the gym, try jumping rope

but 10 minutes of jumping rope can burn up to 200 calories

It is really easy to find excuses not to work out, but try and squeeze these exercises into your day. You’ll feel better, look better, and give yourself a much needed break from catching up on all the reading you’re somehow already behind on even though it’s only the first day of class.

Here's how to do it with good form. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then bend knees and flex forward at the hips. (If you have trouble doing this exercise standing up, support your weight by sitting on an incline bench, facing backward.) Tilt your pelvis slightly forward, engage the abdominals, and extend your upper spine to add support. Hold dumbbells or barbell beneath the shoulders with hands about shoulder-width apart. Flex your elbows, and lift both hands toward the sides of your body. Pause, then slowly lower hands to the starting position. (Beginners should perform the move without weights.)

do a few stretches to help prevent injury and soreness after your workout

do a vigorous period of which ever activity you choose for 30 seconds

really push the limits of what you can do

After the intense spurt take down the intensity level a few notches and exercise for roughly a minute and a half at this level

Continue this rotation for about 15-20 minutes, remembering to take about another 2 minutes to cool down and bring the heart rate back to normal